What this weekend holds as SAWS escalates to Orange Level 5

SAWS has escalated its warnings today, issuing an Orange Level 5 warning for severe thunderstorms over the east-central parts of the Northern Cape, a clear step up from the Yellow-level alerts that have dominated this week’s forecasts.

The upgrade comes as the system responsible for this week’s wild weather continues to move across the country, setting the tone for a genuinely rough weekend across nearly every province.

SAWS has issued nine separate warnings today, ranging from Orange Level 5 down to Yellow Level 2, touching all nine provinces in some form.

why this weekend looks more serious than usual

The Orange Level 5 warning could lead to flooding of formal and informal settlements, along with roads and bridges.

It also brings a risk of wind and hail damage to structures, falling trees, and disruption to municipal services from excessive lightning.

A second warning, Yellow Level 4 for severe thunderstorms, covers the central and eastern parts of the Northern Cape, the western parts of the Free State, the extreme western parts of North West, and the southern parts of KwaZulu-Natal.

It carries similar risks of localised flooding and structural damage.

Alongside these, SAWS also flagged very cold, wet and windy conditions across large parts of the country heading into the weekend.

“Wet and windy conditions are expected over most parts of KwaZulu-Natal,” SAWS said.

Very cold conditions are also expected over the Chris Hani and Joe Gqabi district municipalities in the Eastern Cape, as well as Namakwa in the Northern Cape and the interior of the Western Cape.

the wind, wave and thunderstorm warnings still in force

A Yellow Level 4 warning for damaging winds covers the western parts of the Northern Cape, the central and north-eastern parts of the Western Cape, and most parts of KwaZulu-Natal except the south-west.

A separate Yellow Level 4 warning for damaging winds and waves covers the coast between Alexander Bay and Plettenberg Bay.

Along the KwaZulu-Natal coast specifically, a further Yellow Level 4 warning for damaging winds and a Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging waves are both in force, threatening port and harbour disruption and danger to navigation at sea.

A Yellow Level 2 warning for damaging winds covers the western and southern parts of the Western Cape, the north-western interior of the Eastern Cape, and the southern and central parts of Mpumalanga.

Another Yellow Level 2 warning for severe thunderstorms covers the eastern parts of the Free State, the central and eastern parts of North West, the southern parts of Gauteng, and the south-western parts of Mpumalanga.

A final Yellow Level 2 warning for disruptive rainfall covers the eastern parts of the Eastern Cape.

Alongside all of this, extremely high fire danger remains active over the eastern parts of the Free State and North West, as well as the central and northern parts of Limpopo.

This is a reminder that fire risk continues to run on its own separate scale, even as the wet weather moves through.

It’s a genuinely serious shift from earlier in the week.

When SAWS moves from Yellow to Orange heading into a weekend, and touches every single province in some form, it’s worth taking that jump seriously rather than assuming it’s just more of the same. This has definitley changed my weekend plans, hey.

Are you in one of today’s warning areas, and how are you preparing for the weekend?